BTCC Thruxton Race 2: Gordon Shedden Powers To Victory

The rain finally easing Gordon Shedden repeated his pace of yesterday at Thruxton to drive from sixth on the grid to win the second race of the day. Though the rain stopped, and the track was visibly dryer in the closing laps the race was started under safety car â€“ as the prior support events had been â€“ Mat Jackson only passing the green flag as he started lap three.

Shedden lead Mat Jackson on his way to a third win of the year (Photo Credit: btcc.net)

The rain finally easing GordonShedden repeated his pace of yesterday at Thruxton to drive from sixth on the grid to win the second race of the day. Though the rain stopped, and the track was visibly dryer in the closing laps the race was started under safety car – as the prior support events had been – MatJackson only passing the green flag as he started lap three.

Jackson, who had been mindful of a restart when he was leading the first got the better of DaveNewsham, pulling out a 2.8 second lead over the Vauxhall driver in a single racing lap. But immediately after the race started Shedden laid down a statement of intent by moving from sixth to fourth in one lap, dispatching FrankWrathall for fifth at Campbell – the first corner of the complex – and out dragging RobCollard's BMW down Woodham Hill.

By the end of lap five of the 16 lap distance – the initial safety car laps not added to the race distance as they would be if caused by a mid-race accident – Shedden was second, passing JasonPlato at the complex before out-braking Newsham into the Club chicane and moving into the three second void behind Jackson.

With -relatively – clear track ahead of him Shedden was unleashed the phenomenal pace of the Honda Civic this weekend on show as he cruised up to the back of Jackson's Focus in the space on only a few tours, setting the fastest lap (1:23.598) in the process.

Only ChrisJames held off Shedden's move into the lead. Shedden and Jackson were side by side coming down Woodham Hill after the Honda driver found more grip exiting Church. However, James' Vectra was parked on the outside of the circuit with damage caused by an off earlier in the lap. The yellow flags guarding the Vectra forced Shedden to abort any move into the chicane.

It was only a temporary stay for Jackson's tenure in the lead, Shedden moving through a surprisingly open door to take the lead from Jackson at Campbell.

Shedden's charge to the front was – rightly – taking the attention but Plato and MattNeal were also moving forward, taking advantage as some of the S2000-spec runners began to struggle in the second half of the race. Plato took second from a defenceless looking Jackson at the complex, the race one winner offering little opposition as the MG sailed up the inside of Campbell.

Neal was finding it tougher to move up into the top five, though he eventually accomplished this by passing a fading Newham at the chicane with two laps remaining. Away from the works teams Frank Wrathall was also putting the NGTC advantage to good use, passing RobCollard early on and Newsham on lap 13 before latching onto Jackson's bumper, Wrathall only just missing out on taking the final podium slot as the pair crossed the line nose-to-tail.

TonyGilham just managed to hold off AndrewJordan for ninth. The PirtekRacing driver started from the rear of the field but fought his way up the order, picking up places steadily all race as he carved through the battles for the minor points. Jordan's final attempt to move up a place – to ninth – fell short by just 0.057 seconds, a gap made all the more bigger as Gilham will start the final race from pole after the reverse grid draw; Jordan will have to start from tenth.

Behind Jordan were a trail of those he had fought past, led by teammate JeffSmith with LeaWood, Tom–OnslowCole, NickFoster and OllieJackson completing the top 15.